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The Kim dynasty and North Korea’s nuclear weapons | DW Documentary

  • April 24, 2024



The Kim dynasty and North Korea’s nuclear weapons | DW Documentary

North Korea. Geographically small, it nonetheless looms large in the geopolitical consciousness. The country is isolated, its population desperately poor. The Kim dynasty has ruled for three generations. How does this ruling family manage to make its power felt around the world?

The nuclear program is central to North Korea’s strategy. For decades, the regime devoted increasingly large amounts of its resources to acquiring the bomb. Then, in 2006, North Korea detonated a nuclear bomb for the first time. It was a signal to the world: North Korea was a force to be reckoned with.

The Kim dynasty has also acquired strong partners. China regards the country as a military buffer zone and keeps it heavily dependent on its economy. With China in its corner, North Korea is not intimidated by the United States. Now, North Korea is also allying with Russia and supporting it in the war against Ukraine.

Propaganda, intimidation and surveillance form the pillars of North Korean society. The state’s top-secret structures are largely opaque because the country has been hermetically sealed off from the outside world. The Kim dynasty began with regime founder Kim Il-sung, who was in power from 1948 to 1994. Creating a unique cult of personality, he built a regime according to his own ideas. After his death, his son Kim Jong-Il was in charge until his death 2011. Then, Kim Jong-Il’s son, Kim Jong-un, took over the leadership position. Should Kim Jong-un die, his sister or daughter are considered his likeliest successors.

The North Korean government exercises total control over the country and its population. With the help of a comprehensive surveillance system, the state engages in extreme repression, using everything from intimidation to prison camps and death sentences to keep its people in check.

With the help of leading experts, including former officials of the Pyongyang regime, the film analyzes the strategies deployed by the North Korean government.

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36 comments

  12. 10 % of the people have enough l, 1 % live lavishly and the rest are dying from starvation and work exhaustion….thats communism for you

  15. At first make a documentry on Palestine issue why together USA and Israel killed 38000 Palestinians including 18000 childrens,,,,,,, kim doesn’t harm us so far. But your western propaganda did us.

  21. Did anyone bother to offer this guy 500 acres and immunity. We have a lot of land in the US. i hear he likes California. I hear he likes good weed and hash CALIFORNIA is perfect for him 500 acres in malibu and we can save S.K

  24. LOL I love how "Appeasement" Einhorn is talking like he wasn't an absolute doormat to all the USA's enemies (though to be FAIR, that was barry's policy)

  25. Not surprising that North Korea pushed for nuclear weapons it’s the only way to stop the US invading you. Shame that it’s been done at the expense of some of the population though.

  26. It's one thing detonating a fussion bomb in a test facility.

    Building a re entry vehicle and miniturising the nuclear device is very different.

  27. I mean everyone has nuclear weapons. So why not north Korea? Let them play, we are all screwed either way if a nuclear war starts. 😅

  31. Why does the US have nuclear weapons and then tell other countries not to have same? It's hypocritical and bullish.
    The US and its allies successfully sabotaged the Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State, Nigeria because the the steel complex has its creators from the then Soviet Union. One of the reasons Nigeria, and ultimately, the West Africa subregions are still grossly underdeveloped and in a state of penury.

    The USA is a super power no doubts.

  35. I think the biggest rocket to come out of North Korea is the basketball player Dennis rodman that guy isn’t going there to play basketball or teach them basketball he’s going there for luxury party’s at the expense of the poor and for sure he’s got a room full of women for his fun and pleasure or are they women ? I believe his long visits are for more than basketball and he knows no news will ever come from North Korea about what goes on there ?

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